Mike Berry stood in front of The Diamond on Tuesday afternoon and reflected on the unknown -- what franchise at what level will replace the Richmond Braves -- and the known.

When The Diamond opened in 1985, "it was all about hitting the ball," said Berry, referring to the fan experience at a baseball game involving two farm clubs. "It's not just about hitting the ball anymore."

Berry, general manager of the Richmond Metropolitan Authority (operator of The Diamond), knows whatever setup follows the R-Braves, it will include a heavy accent on fan entertainment unrelated to baseball activity. The importance of establishing that as high priority was driven home during Berry's discussions early this week with Minor League Baseball executives who visited Richmond, Berry said.

Bryan Bostic, who is leading a local group that's interested in owning and operating Richmond's next professional baseball club, said Wednesday that "Minor-league baseball is about entertainment, both inside the lines and outside the lines. There's so much more to it than Baseball, and that's the model that's been proven to be so successful around the country."

Mandalay Baseball Properties, based in Los Angeles, owns or operates six minor-league franchises and believes so strongly in the non-baseball component that it hired full-time directors of entertainment for four of its farm teams. Their only job is to formulate/execute game-long scripts that vary daily.

The entertainment at most minor-league stadiums is typically orchestrated by a staff member who has other responsibilities, according to Shari Sharkins, the director of entertainment for the Class A Dayton Dragons, a Mandalay property. Sharkins, a professional dancer for nine years before she moved into minor-league baseball, also supervises all baseball-related entertainment for Mandalay.

Dayton has long been one of minor-league baseball best-drawing clubs (average home attendance is 8,397 this season), and Sharkins says "The way I look at, I'm hosting a party for 8,000 people who come to our field every night. As soon as the gates open, it's party time, and we're setting the energy level for the evening."

Sharkins said it's unlikely a fan who attends 10 straight Dragons games will see the same entertainment act twice. Dayton's Fifth Third Field has an entertainment host, ringmaster of shows created during Sharkins' brainstorming sessions. Mascots perform skits. Fans take part in sing-a-longs. Toddlers race.

Dancing is big at Dayton's park because music is big there. Costumed characters appear. Among them is Roofman, a superhero who since 2001 has retrieved baseballs from the stadium roof and mysteriously transformed them into foam balls he autographs and drops into the stands.

"We just try to keep our antennae up, so if something makes us laugh, it's 'Why does that make us laugh? How can we put that on a baseball field?'" Sharkins said.

Even when the Dragons are slain on the scoreboard, their entertainment director said fans commonly leave smiling and thank her for a fun night.

Contact John O'Connor at (804) 649-6233 or joconnor@timesdispatch.com.